Bespoke Wishes

Each year,just after Diwali,Grewal,a homemaker from Sector 15,gets down to deciding her greeting card theme for the year. “For some years now,family photographs were part of my artwork but now,my 13-year-old daughter is helping me design ethnic motifs,” she says.

At a time when e-mail forwards,animated cards and jokes are the most preferred way to wishing friends and family before the new year sets in,it’s pleasantly surprising to know that there are still those who choose to make it a personal affair.

Sector-8 based artist and photographer,Maya Singh,is another instance. For as long as she can remember,Singh has always made her own greeting cards and gift wraps. “For me,it’s too impersonal to send an SMS over the phone or an e-mail,” says Singh,who makes hand-painted cards. “For me,the cards are like a canvas to show a lesser-known,frivolous side of my personality,” she says,displaying her recent colourful creations for Christmas,including those with whimsical themes such as a seahorse bobbing on a wave,monsoon clouds and butterflies in different hues.

Using only hand-made paper and reusable materials,Singh’s cards have now brought in orders. “All these years,I have gifted cards and sheets but it’s only recently that I have got into selling my creations under the label,Good Ideas by Maya,” informs the artist. Those looking to send across handcrafted wishes to dear ones can log on to her Facebook (Good ideas by Maya) page. The cards are priced at Rs 350 for a set of five.

Refuting claims that greeting cards are no longer in demand,Deepak Sharma,who works with the Department of India Post,General Post Office,Sector 17,says their brand-new range of greeting post is the bestseller. “We register maximum sale during Diwali,Christmas and New Year,” says Sharma,displaying the variety created for the season. The cards come with pre-paid postage envelopes,multi-coloured embossed stamps and envelopes to match as well.

“We have a design team in Delhi,which creates these every year with design inputs from various states,” he adds. Both traditional and contemporary motifs dot the cards,and the price ranges between Rs 13 and Rs 16 per card.

“With everything around us having become virtual and technical,the real experience is much sought-after. Instead of just a click of a button,hand-made cards are heart warming,” feels Sangeeta Vardhan. The activist and designer is supervising an enthusiastic group of children,who are dressing up cards as part of a vocational programme at the Vatsal Chhaya Trust. The children are using lace,ribbons,paper punches,cut-outs,scraps of fabric and paper,screen printing and stamping to create designs,which can even be personalised and customised.

“From quirky to romantic,we create it all,” says Vardhan,as she shows the new lot for Christmas,with hand-painted images of reindeers,cut-outs of Christmas trees and snow flakes. The elaborate technique of quilling,twirling paper ribbons and shaping them into various shapes and flowers is also being used on the cards.

“This is the only time of the year that I send out hand-made cards,and the feedback is always fabulous,” she sums up. A set of two cards is priced at Rs 30. Take your pick.